
In yet another finding that touts the health benefits of wildly popular weight-loss medications like Wegovy and Ozempic, scientists report that taking the drugs may help reduce the risk of some cancers. In a study published July 5 in JAMA Network Open, researchers found people with type 2 diabetes who were being treated with a class of GLP-1 drugs were less likely to be diagnosed with 10 of 13 obesity-linked cancers than those who were taking insulin. The reduction in risk was significant: Taking the medications cut rates of gallbladder cancer, meningioma, pancreatic cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma, a type of liver cancer, by more than half. Risks were also reduced for cancers of the ovaries, colon, esophagus and kidneys as well as for multiple myeloma (a cancer of the bone marrow) and endometrial cancer (which begins in the lining of the uterus). Excess weight can trigger chronic inflammation and high levels of insulin, insulin-like growth factor and sex hormones. All of these can prompt the development of cancer, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. GLP-1 medications interact with systems related to insulin production, the researchers noted. Importantly, the study found that taking GLP-1 drugs did not lower the risk of postmenopausal breast cancer, which CDC data show is the most common obesity-linked cancer. Risk was also not reduced for stomach cancer or thyroid… read on > read on >